What it’s about: School is boring and the teacher is droning robot, at least according to Fred, who imagines himself a more exciting day: history class involves time travel, lunch is eaten on a space station, and recess is a battle between superheroes and mud monsters.

Starring: armor-clad Brave Knight and crown-wearing Evil Princess, two siblings who share a castle, a cat, and talent for getting on each other’s nerves.

Why kids might like it: With its combination of slapstick (Evil Princess unapologetically trips the Brave Knight) and sly visual humor ("a damsel in distress across the moat" is pictured as the cat perched above a full bathtub), this cartoon-illustrated tale will set off gales of giggles.

What it’s about: It’s “a fine evening for a drive,” and so Annie hops into her race car and zooms off for an imaginative road trip through city streets, up winding mountain roads, and around a racetrack, arriving back home in time for bed.

Why kids might like it: Just like Annie, kids will feel the wind in their hair as they pore over Vroom’s detailed art and listen to its simple, evocative words.

What it's about: Tiny tortoise Truman is about the size of “a small donut,” and he loves his human, Sarah, so much that when she leaves one day aboard a city bus, Truman resolves to escape his tank and go find her.

Who it’s for: children who love imagining what their pets do when they’re away.

Kids might also like: Thyra Heder’s Alfie, for another adorable, heartwarming, turtle's-eye view of the world.

What it is: a visual guide to everyday customs in India, Italy, Iran, Japan, Peru, Russia, and Uganda, as experienced by seven real kids.

What’s inside: Crisp digital illustrations give readers a wealth of cultural details to pore over as they learn about the different ways these seven children eat, play, get dressed, go to school, go to bed, and more.

Don’t miss: the final pages, which provide a glossary, notes, and photos of the kids and their families.

What it is: a collection of meticulous, layered collages depicting 16 different homes from various times and places, including a Mongolian yurt, a Venetian palazzo, a Chilean palafito, and a Fujian tulou.

Why kids might like it: Curious kids will soak up the facts paired with each collage describing the house, how it’s built, and where it’s from.

Try this next: For further cross-cultural home comparisons, try Jeannie Baker’s Mirror or Carson Ellis’ Home.